Show Time at R-FH: The Opening Night

"The overature is about to start ..." as the old Broadway tune from Kiss Me, Kate goes.

Yes, it's "another opening of another show." This time, it's opening night of Aida at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School.

To showfolk, the sounds and smells of opening night are treasured, heart-racing ones that always somehow make a few arm hairs stand on end. There are the smells — fresh paint settling on the sets, that strange undefinable scent of greasepaint and, yeah, a little sweat.

Then there are the sounds — shuffling around backstage, the director's notes and cast high fives, "Check, check. Quiet on the stage, please. And three, two, one ..." Quiet.

Then the squeaking and tuning of the instruments in the orchestra pit to a fine, melodic hum, tap of the conductor's baton, signature wave of the arms, thunderous instrumentals and the opening of the curtain.

There's just no mistaking or replacing it. A show opening and closing in one weekend is an exciting, yet sometimes bittersweet time for anyone, let alone high school students in this and other productions.

For underclassmen, it's a beginning, or realizing it's something you're not or are cut out for. For seniors with the acting bug, it's the final bite musical with some longtime friendships formed over the years. It's a "goodbye for now" finale that most take with them for a lifetime.

I know I did. There are many other R-FH grads in the area and out who did as well.

My graduating year at R-FH, we did Fiddler on the Roof. There was a cast of hundreds, with a dance and vocal chorus. In those days, it wasn't just the thespian types who was involved in the musicals — pretty much everyone who could hold a tune, dance a little or roll out a prop "did" them.

We all really liked each other a lot, too. Still do. Right, Paul Hughes? Well, all Hugheses, for that matter, who still travel in and around R-FH theatrical circles themselves and with their children.

It was my senior year and I was playing Golde to a Tevye (Kevin Carpenter) who I had done my first play ever with in, of all things, eighth grade at Knollwood. We had forged a brother-sister friendship since.

When it came time for us two teens to perform in our final show together, it kind of hit us. We were only 17, but here we were at a milestone and we were headed in opposite directions to college and may never see each other again. But we'd always have the stage, as corny as it sounds.

The director, knowing how hard it would be for two 17-year-olds to sing the slightly embittered, but heartwarming love song, "Do You Love Me?" — about the couple's trials and tribulations and love for one another in spite of it all — he asked us "Do you two love each other? You do, right? As friends, of course." We looked at each other and kind of tearily shrugged "Yeah."

He told us to just think about all we've been through together from eighth grade until now and sing it, seeing the flashbacks in our minds. We did it. And, we cried. So did the director and some of the cast members. I know, sissy theater kids. Na, really good friends who realized the worth of it all.

And there was the fun ... and hapless, slapstick Keystone kid comedy.

We did the show, not without some adventure — almost got rolled into the orchestra pit on a faux bed in the infamous dream sequence number, got to get scared at the sight of what we might look like as "old" folks, sang, dropped some lines and made up a scene or two, danced with two left feet to a wedding polka, stepped on one another's toes, used the wrong staining color make-up and painted the bridge. 

And, ya know what? The memories are all there and ever-enriching.

So, on this night, an opening night for R-FHers, we wish you all the best memories of your own to hold for many years to come! Mazel Tov!

Here are some facts about the cast of Aida and the work put into a show that you may not realize:

• There are 45 students in the cast, including the chorus, and 85 in the entire production;

• The cast has rehearsed since Dec. 4, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and half days on Sundays;

• There are 10 costume designers working with Carole Malik and the most of the characters have two to three costume changes, with the character of Amneris (played by Julia Mosby) having 11 costume changes;

• The students enjoyed a breakfast provided by parents every Saturday morning at 8:30 and then ran laps around the auditorium in preparation for their efforts.

Nice! We just got Dunkin' Munchkins on our own on Saturdays.

The show is directed by Suzanne Sweeney with musical direction by Bill Grillo.

OK, friends and fans and cast of Aida ... Please share your photos of any R-FH shows with us; and don't forget to comment about your special memories.

In the meantime, break a leg!